Basketball fever recently filled the gym at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort. It was created by ESPN's popular college basketball analyst Dick Vitale, who gave a booming presentation on "The Game of Life" during a fundraiser for the Mokena schools' athletic boosters club. In stressing self-esteem and self-confidence, Vitale said he overcame the loss of an eye as a boy. He started his basketball career by coaching a New Jersey high school team to two straight state titles.

ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale apologized Saturday for comparing Houston Texans running back Arian Foster to a prostitute. In a three-minute clip previewing the upcoming documentary, Schooled: The Price of College Sports, Foster admits to taking money "on the side" while he starred at Tennessee. "I don't know if this will throw us into an NCAA investigation -- my senior year, I was getting money on the side," Foster said. "I really didn't have any money....

Giving lie to the stereotype that people who watch television lose the ability to write, here is a sampling of the mail--and one phone call--that has trickled into this office in recent months: What do you think, you're famous or something? You're just a low-down critic. Your critique of the Jay Leno show was horrible. Get a clue. You're like one big, fat pimple. Get a real job, would you? How does it feel to be criticized, huh? --Anonymous phone call Like a lance to the pimple.

The Sports Xchange EditorsNote: adds details in second graf Vitale OK after accident in Michigan On the same day he learned he will finally call the Final Four, Dick Vitale had a minor accident while covering a game in Ann Arbor, Mich. According to multiple media reports, Vitale walked into a window Tuesday at the Wolverines' home game against the Ohio State and sustained a facial cut. He was reportedly treated by paramedics but was all right. Vitale was prepared to call the...

Billy Packer and Dick Vitale think they are "the show" on college basketball telecasts. Why do you have to put the mute button on and try to find the game on the radio to find out what's happening on the floor? The Billy-Dicky show with Bob Knight as emcee--I'd pay to hear it.

Northern Illinois athletic director Jeff Compher extended his best wishes for former Huskies and Southern Illinois football coach Jerry Kill , who suffered a seizure along the sideline during Saturday's Minnesota Gophers loss. "Certainly, our heartfelt thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Kill and his family," Compher said. "He has many friends here at NIU, and I know that our university, our athletic department and our fans join Golden Gophers, Salukis and many, many across the college...

Not many people are as enthusiastic about college basketball as ESPN analyst Dick Vitale. So one might expect that Vitale would enjoy something like what happened Saturday, when the Orange Krush, Illinois' student section, rushed the Assembly Hall court in celebration after the Illini's 78-73 victory over Michigan State. Not exactly. Vitale, who was broadcasting the game for ESPN, made some critical comments on the air about the act and said in a telephone interview Monday that no...

By REDEYE. and ---------- and Edited by Phillip Thompson (plthompson@tribune.com) and alBerto Trevino (atrevino@tribune.com) | June 25, 2004

"Great choice for Chicago! The last six years have been a disaster!" --Dick Vitale on the Bulls drafting Ben Gordon Congratulations, Marcus Fizer, on finally finding a situation where you start. What's that? The Bobcats drafted who? The Bulls drafted Luol Deng after taking Ben Gordon, whose Connecticut team beat Deng's Duke team in the NCAA semifinals. So much for getting over the loss and moving on with your career.

We have begun the national holiday that is the NCAA tournament's opening round. Go, watch, enjoy. I promise I won't bother you with updates about every team not from Illinois (which is every team). But I did want to bring up something else that's as much a part of March as Dick Vitale saying every coach is the greatest coach in the history of coaching: a study about how colleges don't graduate many basketball players. It always comes from this Richard Lapchick guy down in Florida.

Zelly, baby, I have two words for you: Whizzer Enterprises. 2. Sammy and the Cubs I know you're skeptical, but Sam Zell made his decision to sell the Cubs before the game started. 3. What's the deal? Hey, Carlos Zambrano, you want to talk about an extension. How about the full extension of Adam Dunn on those two home-run shots. 4. South Side massacre Oh, and I haven't forgotten about you Sox. C'mon, 12 runs to Cleveland? That's a crime a dozen. 5. Elder statement Jose Contreras got...

The juiciest debate Sunday didn't center on the Arizona State snub or whether the fashion police would arrest Bob Knight for that orange shirt/green sweater combo. But Knight, finally giving ESPN its money's worth, was at the epicenter of a vigorous give-and-take over the NCAA tournament field. Knight said he wants to eliminate automatic bids. That would seem almost un-American, especially to American University, which earned its No. 15 seed by winning the...

It was, well, awesome. Jockey Gary Boulanger rode It's Awesome Baby to a neck victory in its maiden race to make the co-owners quite happy. The 2-year-old colt was walked into the winner's circle Friday at Calder Race Course in Miami by Dick Vitale, the voice of college basketball on ESPN, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino. It was Vitale's first experience as a thoroughbred racehorse owner as well. "This was really a thrill," Vitale said. "I'm excited. Now we'll go to South Beach and spend a little...

He is back, baby! Dick Vitale is doing college basketball games again, baby! Do you think this could be why Bob Knight picked this exact point in his life to quit, baby? Maybe Bobby can't stand to hear one more word out of Dickie V's mouth, baby! Maybe if he had to hear this guy call him "The General" one more time, Knight would implode, baby! Maybe he would rather catch fish in a cold Lubbock creek than turn on a TV and see Dickie V, baby! But the rest of you have to!...

Quick now: What's the nickname of the Dallas franchise in the Major Indoor Soccer League? Give up? The answer can be found at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on WGN-TV (Channel 9) when the Sting travels to Texas. For pro basketball fans, the Los Angeles Lakers (with aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and the Houston Rockets (with young Akeem Abdul Olajuwon) square off at 7 p.m. on WTBS (cable). And, to make your own double-header, the New York Knicks visit the Seattle SuperSonics at 9:30 p.m. on WOR (cable)

I've been doing games 29 years. Never missed a game. I'm never sick. All these years, my voice makes me what I am. And now it almost does me in. I'm 68 years old. I know all things come to an end. But I didn't want it to end because of some physical problem. For the last three years, my voice has sounded raspy. I couldn't figure it out. I was frustrated. I went to three doctors and they all said you have reflux, which is nothing more than acid flowing into the throat. Three days before the season...

Maybe it happened like this: Dick Vitale and some sports writers were sitting around a table in a smoke-filled room, arguing about which Division I basketball games should be listed as the worst in his season preview magazine. The bickering went on and on among Vitale, ESPN's hyperactive commentator, and the scribes, leading one insightful writer to say, "It's getting ugly in here." And with that was born the Dick Vitale Ugly Game of the Year, baby. This year's...